Item Authoring > Creating items > Creating a Multiple Choice question > Generating Multiple Choice questions with Surpass Copilot (25.1)

Generating Multiple Choice questions with Surpass Copilot (25.1)

IMPORTANT: This functionality is not available until Surpass release 25.1, and it will not be available in Surpass by default. If you are interested in using this functionality, contact your Surpass Customer Success Manager.

IMPORTANT: AI is prone to hallucination. It is essential you review any generated content before using it in a live test.

NOTE: Surpass Copilot is enabled at centre-level and can be further configured at subject-level, including the ability to upload domain knowledge files for Copilot to use as a data source when generating question content. Read '4. Edit the centre's settings' in Editing a centre for information on enabling Surpass Copilot and Setting up Surpass Copilot (25.1) for more information on its subject-level configurations.

Surpass Copilot can generate complete Multiple Choice questions including question stems, answer options, and correct answers.

A Multiple Choice question offers candidates a set of possible answers to a problem. One of these answers is the correct answer and the others are plausible but incorrect answers (also known as distractors). Candidates can select one answer option as their response.

This article explains how to generate Multiple Choice questions in Surpass using Surpass Copilot.

1. Choose your item type

In your subject, select Create New Item to open the Question Types menu. Choose Multiple Choice to create a blank Multiple Choice item and go to the Edit screen.

2. Name your item

Enter the item’s name in the Name field.

An item's Name field filled with 'Sample Item Name'.

3. Add your item content

NOTE: Adding content to your item before using Surpass Copilot is optional. Surpass Copilot generates question stems, answer options, and correct answers for you. However, any content you provide is used by Surpass Copilot when generating item content and may therefore improve Copilot's suggestions.

Enter your question text in the question stem. Question stem text added to your item is used by Surpass Copilot when generating item content.

Select Add Text Area to add an additional question stem. You can have a maximum of five question stems per item. For information on all question stem formatting options, read Using the formatting toolbar.

A Multiple Choice question stem with the following content: 'What is the largest US state by population'

Open Additional Options to add source material or assistive media to your question stem.

TIP: Any source material attached to your item’s question stem is also used by Surpass Copilot as a data source for generating item content. Attaching appropriate source material to your item may improve Copilot’s suggestions.

Enter your answer options in the answer fields. Answer options added to your item are used by Surpass Copilot when generating item content. Multiple Choice items default to three answer options.

Select Add Answer Option to add an additional answer option. You can have a maximum of 30 answer options per Multiple Choice item. Select Delete to remove an answer option. Multiple Choice items must have a minimum of three answer options.

Four Multiple Choice answer options with the following content: "California", "Texas", "New York", and "Florida".

For information on all additional functionality available for your answer options, read ‘4. Add your answer options’ in Creating a Multiple Choice question.

4. Open the Surpass Copilot panel

Select Surpass Copilot to open the Surpass Copilot panel.

5. Provide Surpass Copilot guidance

In step 3 of the Surpass Copilot panel, provide Surpass Copilot with any further guidance that it can use to generate more specific and accurate content.

TIP: Ensure your guidance is clear and concise, includes relevant context and keywords, and avoids ambiguity.

EXAMPLE: For a high school biology class, formulate a question about the light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis specifically for aquatic plants.

Limiting Surpass Copilot to domain knowledge

Domain knowledge files and guidance on the subject, question stem, and answer options can be provided at subject-level. You can choose whether to limit Copilot’s data source to the uploaded domain knowledge.

NOTE: If Surpass Copilot cannot find relevant information from uploaded domain knowledge files, it uses the internet as a data source instead, unless it has been limited to domain knowledge.

6. Select Generate Item Content

Select Generate Item Content to generate your item’s content from all the information provided. You can review the generated content before choosing to promote any of it to your item.

7. Promote suggested item content

To use the suggested Question Stem & Correct Answer, select the corresponding Promote to Item button.

Promoted question stems are added as new question stems, up to the limit of 5 stems, unless your first question stem is empty.

NOTE: Question stems suggested by Copilot cannot be promoted to the Supporting Content tab of a two-column layout.

To use any of the suggested distractor answer options, select the corresponding Promote to Item button from the Possible Distractors.

Promoted answer options are added as new answer options, up to the limit of 30 answer options, unless your first answer option is empty.

Expand the corresponding suggested question stem, correct answer, and answer option to view its source file.

To generate new content, select Refine Instructions to return to the first step of the Surpass Copilot dialog and amend the guidance you provided – along with any amends to your item’s content and source material – before selecting Generate Item Content again.

Reporting inappropriate item content

You can report incorrect, inappropriate, or offensive items generated by Surpass Copilot. Reporting inappropriate content generated by Copilot is encouraged as it helps us refine Copilot’s output.

8. Finish editing your item

Using Surpass Copilot’s suggestions as a starting point, finish editing your item. Set the number of marks available for the question, select a workflow status, preview your item, save, and close it. For more information on each of these steps, read Creating a Multiple Choice question.